Gratitude for Coaching

It’s almost Thanksgiving, where we focus on gratitude, so it’s time to celebrate you and the work you do!  As a coach, your role is frequently that of consigliere: a trusted advisor and counselor.  A consigliere gets you going when you don’t know where to start.  She gives you a boost when you’re ready to climb.  You can be that guru for getting it done!
 
One of the reasons coaches are valuable is because we offer outside perspective.  That point of view, which gets teachers beyond the thinking in their own heads, is critical, especially when they are besieged with new initiatives and the everyday life of having 25-or-more little bodies in their charge.  Psychologist Michael Woodward  points out that without honest and informed feedback it’s easy to “get wrapped up in your self-talk and for beliefs to get in the way.”*
 
Having a mentor with whom thoughts can be openly shared can help a teacher to uncover strategies and ideas she may never have considered.  People benefit from a fair and knowledgeable sounding board, and research suggests that the coach benefits, too – there’s even something in it for you!
 
It’s a way to be reminded of the journey you’ve taken and a way to give back.  Coaching can be a calling to help people achieve their dreams, a way of honoring the profession that you care so deeply about.  It’s a chance to show gratitude for the privilege you’ve had of going to work every day to a job you care about, where you know you are making a difference in people’s lives.  It was true when you were teaching young students, and it’s true today as you support their teachers. 
 
But there’s more to it than fulfilling a professional obligation:  Sharing your hard-earned wisdom is a good way to get perspective.  And it’s also a way to learn.  When you are mentoring, you are also learning from the teachers you are working with – it’s a trade.  Being in a symbiotic relationship with a knowledgeable colleague is a way to keep a good thing going. 
 
Unfortunately, some experts suggest that informal mentoring is on the decline, due in part to the increase of a competitive atmosphere.**  That makes your job as an official mentor even more important.  Although teachers can get valuable feedback from the principal, it’s important to have someone who can give an off-the-record perspective.  A mentor can help teachers assess whether their routine is on a roll or in a rut.  Being open, honest, and direct is the best policy.  There is value in the relationships you’ve created when teachers are willing to hear your feedback and do something with it. 
 
So take a moment to feel gratitude for the role you’ve taken.  Thank you for all you do!
 
*Smits, J.C. (2014).  Guidance counselors: both sides benefit from a top-flight mentor relationship.  Spirit, January 2014, 58, 62-66. 
 
**Webb, M. & Adler, C. (2013).  Rebooting work: Transform how you work in the age of entrepreneurship. Wiley.
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

AI Literacy Lessons for Grades 6–12 (create a free account):
 
https://www.commonsense.org/education/collections/ai-literacy-lessons-for-grades-6-12
 
An administrator’s view on effective instructional coaching:
 
https://dennissparks.wordpress.com/2018/09/19/using-instructional-coaches-effectively/
 
Why coaching? and coaching resources:
 
https://blog.tcea.org/coaching-connections/
 
 
How to play “Crumple & Shoot:”
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkNLN_mc134&list=PLh8j72So6cvzeEZs06m40WtIKypfAEI9-&index=13&t=0s
 
More ways to share during writing workshop:
 
https://choiceliteracy.com/article/a-variety-of-share-sessions/
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
Want more coaching tips? Check out my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, available from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! It’s still November, so you can use the code: NOV2024 for 20% off. Click  here  and I’ll email you the free Book Group Study Guide that includes questions, prompts, and activities you can use as you share the book with colleagues.  I hope you’ll love this book as much as I loved making it for you!